Traffic signal



Nov. 25, 1924.

L. s. MA-sslMo TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed July 3, 1924 INVENTOR SJ ou w mussxmo,

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 25, 1924.

STATES LOUIS S. MASSIMO, 0F BAYSIDE, NEW YORK.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Application filed July 3,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUlS S. MAssiMo, a citizen. of the United States, and a resident of Bayside, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traffic Signals, of which the following is a full, clear, and. exact specification.

This invention relates to a class of devices for giving emergency warnings.

My invention has for its object primarily to provide a signal designed to be employed on vehicles, such as automobiles, autotrucks and the like, for sewing to prevent accidents by indicating to persons in the rear that the vehicle is about to stop as well as also serving to timely indicate the direction in which the vehicle is about to be steered, and which is of a form preferably simulating a persons hand adapted to be displayed for observation in emergency, in order to avoid requiring the operator to thrust an arm and hand out of the vehicle to give such signals. The provision of a mirror in conjunction with the device is also contemplated for reflecting to the operator objects at the rear of the vehicle.

The invention consists essentially of a casing having an opening, and on the easing may be a mirror. The casing is mountable on an automobile or other vehicle at a part whereby objects at the rear will be re flected in the mirror for observation by the operator of the vehicle. In the casing is a signalling element preferably of a form representing a persons hand which is movable inwardly and outwardly of the casing through its opening. The signalling ele ment is under the control of one or more springs tensioned for normally retaining the element within the casing, and a cable is provided for being pulled. from within the vehicle to cause the signalling element to yieldingly move outward of the casing to indicate to observers when the vehicle is about to stop or about to be steered in right or left directions without requiring such signals to be given by outstretching of the arm and hand of an occupant of the vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a traflic signal of a simple, etlicient and durable construction which may be made in appropriate shapes and sizes.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more fully explained with reference to the accompanying 1924. Serial No. 724,083.

drawing forming a part of this specification in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and will then be pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken through a portion of the front part of a vehicle and which shows an elevation of my improved traflic signal mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, partly in detail, taken through the device, and which shows the position of the signalling element obscured from view.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the sig nalling element displayed for indicating the course of travel of the vehicle, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

The device or signal has a casing 10 which is preferably substantially rectangular and of somewhat ovoidal'shape in cross section to provide spaced side walls 11, 12, a curved lower wall 13 and a curved upper wall 14. One end of the casing is open, as at 15, and the other end of the casing is closed by a wall 16 having an orifice 17 in its center.

On the exterior of the side wall 11 of the casing 10 may be a frame, as 17 in which is mounted a mirror 18 of approximately a rectangular or other suitable shape, and on the end wall 16 of the casing is a bracket, as 19, which may be in the form of a plate which protrudes from the central part of the wall for serving as means to mount the casing on one side of the front portion, as 20, of the body of an automobile, as 21, or other vehicle so that objects in the rear of the vehicle will be reflected in the mirror 18 for being observed by the operator or chauffeur.

Within the casing 10 is a signalling element 22 preferably of a form simulating a persons hand, as 23, in open position, and the hand proper extends from a wrist portion, as 24. This signalling element is made hollow by recessing the back of the hand, as at 25, through the wrist portion 24 to the tips of the fingers of the hand, and the end part of the recess 25 within the fingers may be reduced in size as well being tapered, as at 26. The hand 23 of the signalling element may be somewhat smaller than the interior of the casing 10 so that it is freely movable outwardly and inwardly of the casing 10 through its opening 15.

The wrist portion 24 of the hand is preferably of the form'of an outwardly extending flange of a shape corresponding to-theis of a width whereby the wrist portion or "flange 24 of the hand signalling element 22 will contact therewith for limiting the movement of the element outwardly of the casing, as shown in Fig. 3. The open part of the recess at the back of the hand 23 of the signalling element is closed by a plate, as 28, which may be suitably fastened on the hand. The recess is thereby formed into a chamber having an entrance, as 29, leading a through the wrist portion 24 of the hand signalling element. i

the orifice 17.

' the orifice 17.

The hollow signalling element 22 is normally obscured from view by being yieldingly held within the casing 10 by means of springs 30, 31. These springs are preferably of helical types. The spring 30 has one of its ends held, at 32, to the lower part of the front end of the recess or chamber 25 of the signalling element at the tapered part 26 of the chamber, and the other end of this spring is fastened, at 33, to the end wall 16 of the casing 10 below The spring 31 has one of its ends attached, at 34, to the upper part of the front end of the recess or chamber 25 at the tapered part 26, and the other end parallel relation, and the springs are tensioned for holding when compressed the signalling element entirely within the casing 10.

Within the casing 10 between the springs 30, 31 is a bracket 36 preferably in the form ofa substantially U-shaped bar to provide spaced arms 37 38 and a bridging member 39 integrally connecting one of their ends. The free ends of the arms 37, 38 are fas tened respectively, at 40, 41, to the end wall 16 of the casing in straddling relation of in the entrance 29 of the chamber 25 when the' signalling element is displayed out-,

wardly of the casing, as shown in Fig. Between the arms 37 38' of the Ushaped bar 36 in proximity to the bridging member 39 is a rotatable grooved wheel or pulley I The bracket or U-shap'ed bar 36 is of a length so that when the signalling 42, and on the bracket or supporting plate 19 of the casing 10 is mounted another rotatable grooved wheel or pulley 43. These the vehicle 21 for beingconveniently pulled k in emergency by the operator of the vehicle.

When the vehicle is about to be brought to a stop or about to make a turn in its travel the'device is operated to display to observers the'signalling element 22 by pullf ing the cable 44 outwardly of the casing 10. The cable will then move to force the signalling element outwardly of the casing 10 through its opening 15 and-against the tension of the springs 30, 31. When the signalling element has moved adistance so that its flange 24 abuts against the stop flange 27 of the casing 10 the signalling element will be stopped, and with the release of the cable 44 the tension of the springs 30, 31 will cause the signalling element to re-' versely move within the casing for being hidden from View. I i

In the foregoing description, I have embodied the preferred form of my invention, but I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I am aware that modifications may be made therein without de-' parting from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, therefore, I reserve to myself the right to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A traffic signal, comprising casing mountable on a vehicle and having an open ing, a hollow signalling element movable in the casing outwardly and inwardly of the opening, springs within the signalling element connecting the element and casingfor normally retaining the element yieldingly within the casing, 21 substantially U-shaped bar extending from the casing interiorly of the signalling element, a pulley between the arms of the Ushaped bar, and a cable leading into the casing over the pulley and hav ing one end attached to the signalling element for being pulled to cause the element to move against the tension of the springs outward of the opening of the casing.

2. A traflic signal, comprising a casing mountable on a vehicle and having an opening, a hollow signalling element simulating loo a persons hand, movable in the casing outwardly and inwardly of the opening, springs within the signalling element connecting the element and casing for normally retaining the element yieldingly within the casing, a mirror on the exterior of the casing, a substantially U-shaped bar extending from the casing interiorly of the signalling element, a pulley between the arms of the U-shaped bar, a cable leading into the easing over the pulley and having one end attached to the signalling element for being pulled to cause the element to move against the tension of the springs out-ward of the opening of the casing, and a stop at the opening of the casing for limiting the outward movement of the signalling element.

A traflic signal, comprising a substantially rectangular casing with an orificed closed end and an open end, a bracket for mounting the casing at its closed. end on a vehicle, a hollow signalling element movable in the casing outwardly and inwardly of its open end, springs within the signalling element connecting the element and casing for normally retaining the element yieldingly within the casing, a substantially U-shaped bar extending from the closed end of the casing interiorly of the signalling element, a pulley between the arms of the U-shaped bar, a second pulley on the arms of the bracket of the casing, and a cable movable over the pulleys through the orificed end of the casing and having one of its ends attached to the signalling element for being pulled to cause the element to move against the tension of the springs outward of the open end of the casing.

4. A trallic signal, comprising a substantially rectangular casing with an orificed closed end and an open end, a mirror on one of the side walls of the casing, a bracket for mounting the casing at its closed end on a vehicle for reflecting in the mirror objects in the rear, a hollow signalling element simulating a persons hand, movable in the casing inwardly and outwardly of its open end, springs within the signalling element connecting the element and casing for normally retaining the element yieldingly with- 1 in the casing, a substantially U-shaped bar extending from the closed end of the casing interiorly of the signalling element, a pulley rotatable between the arms of the U-shaped bar, a second pulley on the bracket of the casing, a cable movable over the pulleys through the orificed end of the casing and having one of its ends attached to the signalling element for being pulled to cause the element to move against the tension of the springs outward of the open end of the casing, and a stop in the open end of the casing for limiting the outward movement of the signalling element.

This specification signed and witnessed this 2d day of July, A. D. 1924.

LOUIS S. MASSIMO. lVitnesses F. V. RUBIN,

J. FREDERICK CRYER. 

